Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

We are always available to answer your questions and encourage you to contact us if you have a question not answered below.

Q: What is a pediatrician?A: A pediatrician is a medical doctor who specializes caring for children. Pediatricians undergo special training in the health and illnesses of infants, teens and young adults, and the majority are certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.

Pediatricians provide preventive health care for children in good health and medical care for children who are extremely or chronically ill. They also provide parents with support and advice with issues such as growth and development, safety and prevention, nutrition, and emotional wellness to foster a lifetime of good health.

Q: How often should my child see the pediatrician?A: Your child should not only see the pediatrician for an illness but also for regular well-child care (also known as well-care or checkup) exams, beginning in infancy. These routine exams allow the doctor to see your child’s physical and mental growth and development; counsel and teach parents; detect problems through tests; provide immunizations; and get to know one another. Well-care visits are strongly recommended as part of preventive pediatric care.

Well-child visits also are a good time for parents to raise questions and concerns about a child’s development, behavior, nutrition, safety and overall well-being.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this schedule for routine checkups:

3 to 5 days

1 month

2 months

4 months

6 months

9 months

12 months

15 months

18 months

24 months

30 months

3 years

4 years

Starting at age 4, exams should be once a year for an annual health/physical exam as well as a developmental, behavioral and learning assessment.

Q: What is a pediatric dentist?A: Pediatric dentists are the pediatricians of dentistry. They are primary and specialty oral care providers for infants, children and adolescents, including those with special health needs. A pediatric dentist has years of specialty training following dental school, with an emphasis on child psychology, growth and development, and children with special health care needs.

Our Child & Adolescent Dentistry (CAD) department provides:

Examinations

Extractions

Cleanings

Fillings

X-Rays

Crowns

Fluoride treatment

Root canals (may require referral)

Braces (limited)

Sedation and general anesthesia

School-based oral health program

Q: What is the best way to schedule an appointment with your office?A: You can schedule an appointment by calling our office at (810) 767-5750 during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), or by requesting an appointment online.

Q: Is your office accepting new patients?A: Yes, we welcome new patients. Contact our office for additional information or to request an appointment.

Q: Why does my child need to receive vaccinations?A: Immunizations are a series of shots given to children at different ages to help prevent serious, and potentially fatal, childhood diseases. The best way to help protect your child from potentially fatal diseases is to make sure your child receives immunizations. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, vaccinations have reduced the number of infections from vaccine-preventable diseases by more than 90 percent. If you’re unsure about vaccinations, please contact our office.

Q: How can I find out if my child qualifies for Mott Children’s Health Center services?A: It is the policy of Mott Children’s Health Center (MCHC) to establish and maintain client eligibility guidelines that are consistent with both the mission and/or are required to be in compliance with a specific contract, program, or project.

To be eligible for MCHC services:

The patient must be:

a resident of Genesee County

meet the age guidelines: Birth to age 19

meet the Health Center’s Financial Guidelines (see below)

A child who is a Ward of the Court automatically qualifies for MCHC services

If the child has Medicaid, MIChild, Healthy Kids or other state-subsidized health insurance, it is not necessary to assess income. The only required proof of eligibility will be the child’s current insurance card.

If the child is not covered by one of the state-sponsored insurances, the maternal/paternal or custodial parent(s) must present evidence of income eligibility.

Q: How can I arrange transportation to Mott Children’s Health Center?A: Flint’s Mass Transit Authority (MTA) now provides bus service to medical facilities in Flint, including Mott Children’s Health Center as part of its MTA Ride to Wellness program. In fact, there’s a bust stop directly in front of our building!

Further information and complete pick-up and drop-off times can be found here.

If you have your own transportation, we have a secure parking lot adjacent to our building.

Related Links

Babies are born with an immune system that can fight most germs. But there are some dangerous diseases their bodies can’t handle. Vaccines help their bodies fight off some of these germs. Learn more in CDC’s new video about “How Vaccines Work” Watch Video